Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-25

aaiu almost nodded 10 hls slim ngure,
and saU Panama hat with a tiny cresi
: in gold worked in the top OF Ghe crown,
was i'';slied back on the top Of his head.
He WOE the snowiest OF linens, and the
genera! whiteness of his attire was re-
lieved ~ brilliant scarlet scarf in which
there WAS black diamond set in white
enamel He wore several snowy rings.
There was something that relieved his
appearance of all suggestions of effemi-
macy, and think il WAS the steady gaze
OF his eyes. His face WAS clean cut and
regular, the mouth firm and the cNprcs-
sion very winning when he chose to smile.
lie WAS the only son of a rich widow, had
the entree 10 the best houses in Havana
and was more of IA favorite among men
than among women. This is the best
recommendation any man can have.
had met him III New York, and SO posed rs
his oldest friend among the Qucerly con-
stituted trio that night, but we had all
been in Havana a month, and we had
been together constantly. SO that he was
quite as web acquainted with the English
nobleman and the Chicago gambler as
with ME.
when he finally got to our table he
pulled out this little jeweled watch and
said
1T is beyond IL O'Clock, aud 50 we 60
to the ball 80
| When we got to the Tacon theatre
where the masked ball was going ON, the
floor WAS crowded by men and women in
carnival attire dancing curious and sug-
I gestiye Cuban walt We went in the
| box Immediately over the governor gen
! eral 5, in the second tier. In an instant
/ every head in the room was turned to-
4 wards Tomaso.
There wac nothing new about the ball
/ IL was the same old series Of wriggles and
| Contortions which invariably characterize
/ the Cuban dance. and which make il in
| its vulgar furu the grossest Of known
| public amusements. We had all been up
late the night before, and | am afraid
was rather sleepy. At ali events, | dozed
OF a bit AT the back Of the box, while the
music strummed away monotonously.
| The Others talked and watched the crowd
Ii must have been nearly O'Clock when
young yachtsman pulled open the door
of the box. stuck half scared face in and
nodded significantly to Tomaso. The lat
ter raised his eyebrows perceptibly and
smiled his thanks for the warning 1t
was evident that the duelist had arrived
The gambler pulled my sleeve and told
me in hoarse whisper 10 wake up, but
the suggestion was not needed. for | saw
by the movement in the crowd that we
Were IN for the row at last. A crowd Of
club men and loungers surged in on the
floor, and with them WAS the hero OF the
hour with his face whittier than ever and
his big eyes rolling from face 10 face. The
Englishman had evidently beaC thinking
deeply and he was very muci. perturbed
As the little group Of rounders pushed
their way on the Iioor he arose and leaned
over the young Cuban with more
fatherly air than | had ever seen him ex-
hiht before
Il wish you would come home, my
boy, - he said with half sullen and half
husky Voice. Il feel like criminal. |
ought TO have spanked You and put you to
bed three hours ago The trouble is that
the duel is such recognized institution
in these countries than an outsider can
never interfere, but il is "A pity that You
have 10 get into any sort Of scrimmage
with that white faced cat down there on
the floor"
1T must he. You know said the
yOungster resignedly. ut is the custom
Of the country. and if showed the least
tendency to shirk would be cut by every
friend and relative on the island
The Enclishman sank back again into
his seat. Then proposed walk through
the corridors We moved out slowly with
the gambler beside Tomsso, and the Eng
ishman and ] walking together beside
them was rather surprised 10 see that
none OF the Cubans came 10 Tomaso's side,
but learned the reason from one of them as
We walked along. He said that ,is TumaSo
had deliberately chosen foreigners. mean
ing us, for his associates in the trouble
they thought il would only be courtesy To
respect his wishes, but that they all held
themselves at his services ut any time
This l was told 10 communicate TO him by
the speaker, whose good breeding appa-
reutly prevented him from approaching
TomasO himself. We moved down the
broad flight of stairs and into the open
court adjoining the Tacou theatre. At the
same moment the other party hurried
tumulruously ont of the further door. and
we heard occasional slurs and gbes Ieveled
at Americans and Englishmen. including
four or five limitations of how We spoke
Spanish. The limitations were 50 deftly
and cleverly made that both the English
man and grinned, but the gambler and
Tomaso Were apparently quite unconscious
of the fusilade OF remarks that were leyeles'
at us. 1t began to look as if We were in
for more Of a row than We had at first
supposed We were walking directly
toward the crowd, and in the front rank
stood the duellist, with a sort of stage
smile on his thin lips, and his eyes fixed
directly on the slim boy who was walking
by the gamblers side.
i had rather have had that famous Chi
cago faro dealer and gambler for guard
at that moment than a regiment of the
cars imperial guards. There was some
thing about his immOvable face and the
protecting manner in which he hovered
about the boy that caused even the hot
blooded and half tipsy crowd that we
were approaching TO moderate their voices
We had approached within five feet Of the
crowd, when TomasO, without word Of
warning TO Us Or any one else, sprang for
ward like cat directly into the crowd,
and, with n single back handed motion,
slapped the duelist in the face with his
left and stood where he landed, staring at
him. The face turned crimson, and the
man gasped from sheer amazement and
stepped back a pace Then there was a
howl from the crowd, and the men and
women from the ball poured out of doors
into the open court. The duelist WAS 50
amazed by the suddeuness of the attack
for he evidently expected that he would
have TO provoke the quarrel-that he
pointed angrily to tall Spanisrd by his
side, turned on his heel and pushed his
way back into the theatre without a word.
Tomaso, who was not fustered in the
least BY the crowd TINT was pushing and
tostlinc him. turned TO Ine and raised his
hat with a meaning smile. l suddenly
discovered that had been selected rs u
second in a duel. The tall Spaniard lowed